Brick-making machinery.



Nu. 78,570. Patented Nov. ll, I902.

' c. R. monaoz. v BRICK MAKING MACHINERY.

(Applicatioh filed. July 12, 1902.)

'-(No Mode l.)

//v VEN 70R ATTORNEYS Uivirnn Snares ATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES R. MONROE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

BRICKJWAKENG MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,570, dated November11, 1902.

Application filed July 12, 1902.

T0 ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES R. MONROE, residing at Washington, in theDistrict of O0- lumbia, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Brick-flaking Machinery, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates more particularly to improvements in that class ofbrick-machines having mold-wheels formed with molds in the peripheralface thereof; and the said invention has for its purpose to provide asimple and effectively-operating means for imparting a supplemental orfinal pressure to the brick, whereby to impart a smooth, dense, and hardfinish to the same before it leaves the mold-wheel and in consequenceavoiding the necessity of again subjecting the brick to a secondpressure after it leaves the moldwheel, as is now the common practice inmaking bricks.

In the use of the common form of moldwheel having peripheral molds orpockets and reciprocally-moving plungers operatin g therein it is usualto scrape off the surplus clay from the pressed bulk after it has passedthe cylinder that forces the clay into the molds. This operation, evenwhen the knives are accurately adjusted, serves to roughen the outersurface of the pressed clay bulk within the mold and so disintegrate oract upon the brick as to make it necessary to subject the said brick toa second or supplemental pressure, which is generally efiected byplacing it in another mold and subjecting it to a final-pressuremechanism. To effect this latter pressure economically and quickly, thesecond mold into which the initially-pressed brick is fitted must besufficiently larger than the mold or pocket in the mold-wheel to permitthe said initially pressed brick dropping therein, and by reason of suchincreased size of mold the bricks as they receive their second or finalpressure are flattened and more or less so changed as to break the bondor original formation, thereby'materially affecting their value.

I am aware that brick-machines have heretofore been provided inconnection with the peripheral-pocket mold-wheel, a pressing-cylinder, ascraper, and means for effecting a supplemental final pressure to thebrick, which cooperate with the mold-wheel before Serial No. 115,380.(No model.)

the brick is discharged therefrom; but so far as I know such means hasbeen in the nature of a fixedly-held plate having a concaved faceadapted to be brought up snugly against the peripheral face of themold'wheel. This form of supplemental pressing means has by practicalexperience been found not to effect all the results desired and notadapted to pro duce a uniform and proper pressing action of theinitially-pressed brick.

In the operation of machines having a fixedly-held pressure-plate theinitiallypressed clay bulk as it is drawn over the fixedly-heldpressure-plate frequently has its outer face adhere to the said plate tosuch an extent that the surface after passing by the said fixedly-heldplate is left roughened, and, again, by reason of the drag movement ofthe said initially-pressed bulk over such fixedlyheld plate the body ofsuch bulk is disturbed-that is, the density it had when it left thepressing-cylinder is so changed as to leave that portion of the brickthat last passes by the said fixed plate the more compact and solid thanthat part that first entered against the fixed pressure-plate, therebyleaving the product one of non-uniform density, roughened, andhnfinishedand making it necessary to frequently finish or re-press the brickssubjected to such supplemental pressure by hand.

My invention differentiates from the type of supplemental-pressure meansabove noted in that the pressing-surface is movablethat is, it travelswith the brick and in the same direction and does not subject the brickto a drag movement with a fixed part-such surface being also of apowerful yielding character, whereby during the pressing operation thebrick-body will be positively engaged with uniform pressure againstitsentire surface, compressed within the mold to a density uniform inevery direction, and in which the outer face will be left with a cleansmooth finish, and the brick after it has thus received its finalpressure left in condition to be dropped onto the take-off belt ready tobe delivered onto the drying-compartment with- 1 out any furtherpressing or forming.

My invention consists in certain novel constructions and combination ofparts, all of which will be first described and then specif icallypointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinalsection of a brick-machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section taken on theline 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicatelike parts in all the figures, 1 designates the mold-wheel, which is ofthat type having the molds or pockets in its peripheral face, and thesaid Wheel is equipped with plungers 2, one for each mold or pocket 3,and cam mechanism 4 of suitable construction so arranged as to dischargethe brick after the same in my complete construction of machine shallhave received its initial and final pressing operations.

In my construction of machine the peripheral face of the mold-surface ofthe wheel is projected slightly beyond the remaining face or edges ofthe wheel-periphery, as indicated by 5 5 in Fig. 3, the purpose of whichwill presently appear.

The presser-cylinder 6 is mounted over the upper part of the mold-wheeland projected into the hopper 7 in the usual manner, and the sameoperates to force the clay into the molds and impart an initial pressurethereto as the molds or pockets pass from the hopper under it.

The general arrangement of parts so far as described forms per so nopart of my invention, they being of the common form of machine now ingeneral use.

The mold-wheel 1 is mounted upon an axle 8, the ends of which seat inbearings 9, formed in the upper ends of timbers 9, supported upon thelong inclined timbers 10, that form a part of the strut-frame, whichalso includes the timbers 11, inclined in reverse direction to thetimbers 10, which timbers rest upon the upper ends of the timbers 11.

12 indicates horizontal brace-timbers that extend across and join withthe lower ends of the timbers 10 11.

13 represents a transverse base or strain beam, and 14 14 denotetruss-braces that bear on the timbers 12 at a point over the timber 13and against the under side of the timbers 10. All of the several timbersreferred to in practice are further braced by stay-bolts, 850., wherebyto produce an entire supportingframe of great strength and rigidity.

A scraper 15 is secured to the framing in any suitable manner and atsuch points below the cylinder 6 that its edge 15 will hang on theperipheral face of the mold-surface at a point near the cylinder 6, andthe said scraper is of sufficient width so its outer edges will bearupon the annular rim 16 of the moldface, that projects slightly beyondthe outer peripheral edges of the wheel, as hereinbefore set out, and toconvey the scrapings from the machine the scraper-body inclines downwardwithin a suitable ofitake-trough 17, as clearly illustrated in thedrawings. The supplemental pressing mechanism in my type ofbrick-machine is placed below the scraper, and the same consists of aroller formed of a stock portion 18, of wood or metal, having endjournals 18*, mounted in bearings 19, fixedly held upon the upper edgesof a pair of beams 20 20, adjustably supported on the main frame, theirlower ends being rounded, as at 20, and held in sockets 20*, formed onthe timbers 12, while their upper ends are movable within sockets 20 ofthe timbers 11, as best shown in Fig. 1.

By supporting the members 20 20, as described, it is manifest theirupper ends can be swung upwardly in the direction indicated by the arrowtoward the mold-wheel, and to hold the said beams up to their adjustedpositions a hanger-rod 21 is provided at each side, the upper ends ofwhich pass through the timbers 10 and have headed portions, and theirlower ends pass through the upper ends of the timbers 20, said lowerends being threaded to receive the adjusting and clamp nuts 22.

Upon the roller-stock 18 is mounted a thick rubber covering ofsubstantially the length of the peripheral surface of the mold-wheel 1,said covering forming a squeezing-body for pressing the bricks held inthe molds to a dense and uniform condition as they pass by the aforesaidroller.

In the practical construction the pressingroller is made of a sufficientdiameter so that when said roller is brought into a tight frictionalcontact with the mold-wheel it will positively press flatly against anarea equal or greater than the width of the mold, whereby the saidyielding surface, held in contact with the wheel 1, will act as aplunger-face having a width and length equal the width and length of themold, and thus positively serve to press against the entire outersurface of the brick, as illustrated in Fig. 3, by reference to which itwill be seen that the plunger action of the yielding surface will beaugmented or rendered the [more positive, as well as effectivelypreventing the spreading of the clay over the outer edges of the mold byreason of offsetting the edges of the wheel 1, thereby producing, as itwere, clearly-defined side ridges 25 in that part of the yieldingsurface of the roller that engages the wheel 1, which prevents any sidespreading of the clay, as before stated.

The object in supporting the roller in swinging-frame devices, asdescribed and shown, is to provide a simple and efiective means wherebythe pressure of the roller against the mold-wheel may be governed tosuit the character of the clay to be worked, said adjustment beingreadily efiected by tightening the nuts 22, and by fitting the upperends of the beams 20 in sockets, as described, the said ends, whilebeing left free to move vertically, are held from lateral motion, thelateral strain on the roller-supporting frame being taken up by thetimbers 11.

By providing a means for effecting a final or supplemental pressure onthe bricks, such as described and shown, I am enabled to complete thebricks so far as giving them their shape and pressure before they dropfrom the wheel onto the ofii-take belt 26. p

In operation, the clay bulks having been initially pressed into themolds by the cylinder 6 and the exterior surplus clay smoothed off bythe scrapers, the said bricks pass down into engagement with thepresser-roll, which by frictional contact with the wheel 1 is caused torotate in a like direction with the said wheel.

As a maximum pressure of the pressingroll is on the line taken throughthe axis of the roller through the axis of the wheel 1, as indicated byX, it follows that as the bricks pass into engagement with the yieldingpressure-surface of the said roll they will be first subjected to aprogressively-increased pressure until the center of the mold comes inthe plane of the line indicated by X, when the action of the roll willbe in the nature of a powerful plunger-pressing action against theentire bulk Within the mold. As the bricks pass beyond the line Xthepressure thereon gradually decreases in such manner as not to effect thethen-produced density and uniformity.

An essential advantage in providing a resser-roller having a yieldingsurface mov-' able in a direction and speed the same as the wheel 1 isthat at no time will the brick in passing by the said roller have a dragmotion over such roller, and in consequence the shape and density of thebrick are not thereby disturbed.

It will be understood the mold-wheel has a master-gear 30 on one of itsaxles, which gears with the pinion 31 on the drive-shaft 32, driven inany suitable manner, and which shaft also has a bolt 33, over which theofftake belt passes, as shown. The cam mechanism that operates theplunger of the moldwheel is so constructed in practice to push out thepressed brick as it passes over the receiving end of the aforesaidoff-take belt.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings,itis thought the complete advantages of my invention will bereadily understood. The same is of a very simple and stableconstruction, and by its use no handling of the brick is necessary toeffect a final pressure thereof, as is now commonly done.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with the mold-wheel; the cylinder and thesupporting-frame including the timbers 11, said timbers having sockets;of the timbers 20 pivotally supported at their lower ends on the mainframe, their upper ends projecting into the sockets of the timbers 11,and thereby held from lateral movement; the adjusting-rods supportingthe upper ends of the timbers 20, and the presserroller journaled on thesaid timbers, said roller having a yielding pressing -surface adapted toengage the mold-Wheel periphery, as specified.

2. The combination with the mold-wheel having pockets in its peripheralface, the outer edges of which project beyond the face of the Wheel,whereby an annular depressed surface is provided at each side of themoldfaces; of a presser-roll mounted upon the main frame; means foradjusting the pressure of the roller against the mold-faces, said rollerhaving a bearing-face formed of ayielding material whereby said facewill plunge into the molds of the wheel and compress the clay bulktherein, said yielding face being of sufficient length to lap over theannular side rims of the mold-Wheel, all being arranged substantially asshown and for the purposes described.

CHARLES R. MONROE.

Witnesses:

FRED G. DIETERIOH, GUY V. WORTHINGTON.

